Spinoff of smash hit The Walking Dead brings the zombie apocalypse to Austin

Spinoff of The Walking Dead brings zombie apocalypse to Austin

Sound the air-raid sirens, Austinites. Horde your canned goods and sharpen your Bowie knives — it's about to get stabby. The zombie apocalypse has finally descended on the capital city.

The harbinger is one Lennie James, better known as bō staff-wielding Morgan Jones from AMC’s The Walking Dead. On Sunday night’s episode of Talking Dead, perched in front of the lit dome of the Texas State Capitol, James revealed himself as the character crossing over from the original show to its spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead. James also confirmed the show is now filming in Austin.

Filming begins Wednesday, November 29, in southeast Austin, where crews are hard at work turning Shady Cedar and Onion Creek drives into a zombie-ravaged hell-scape.

According to Spectrum News, now through December 1, do your best to avoid South Pleasant Valley Road between William Cannon Drive and Springville Lane, or you could be what’s on the menu for a herd of flesh-eating corpses. (Or you may just hit traffic due to production. Either way, be forewarned.)

Rumors that the smash AMC spin-off has been filming in Austin have been swirling for weeks. Earlier this month, aerial photos revealed the Dell Diamond stadium in Round Rock had been transformed into a walled dystopian colony. While the outfield served as an undead refugee camp, the parking lot was a wagon train trailer park — and not the kind where you'll find a dope bánh mì.

Fear the Walking Dead is a prequel to AMC’s long-running The Walking Dead. The characters in each show are separated by a continent and, until this upcoming crossover, are unaware of each others’ existence. The events of FTWD’s most recent third season are concurrent with those of TWD’s first season, though the storylines are as yet unrelated. How the prequel show will incorporate Morgan remains a mystery for now.

While the original show has lapsed into a bit of static brooding boredom, bright lights still shine in the murky Armageddon. Morgan has remained as complicated and interesting a character as earlier plot lines promised. FTWD, in its most recent season, outdid its progenitor by miles. Bringing the story to Austin may provide the spark of resurrection the franchise needs.